1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-conditioning apparatus using a thermoelectric device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, air-conditioning apparatuses that use thermoelectric devices have been developed. A thermoelectric device (TED) has one surface that generates heat, and one surface that absorbs heat, when electricity is supplied to the device. An air-conditioning apparatus using a TED includes a heat exchanger on each surface of the TED, and air is supplied to one of the heat exchangers using a blower, thus providing hot or cool air.
This air conditioner is inefficient, because, even though the quantity of heat generated at the heat generating surface of the thermoelectric device is larger than the quantity of heat absorbed at the heat absorbing surface, the same flow rate of air is supplied to both surfaces. Thus, more air than necessary is supplied to the heat absorbing surface. As a result, the performance of the thermoelectric device is not fully utilized.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.